Phytoplankton Bloom off Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Roll your mouse over this image and you can watch the motion of a phytoplanckton bloom from one day to the next! (You can also see a large cloud bank move in to the left!) These two images, from June 25th and 26th were acquired by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite. This phytoplankton bloom is just off the coat of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia.
Phytoplankton play a large role in sustaining ocean ecosystems and in global climate. The tiny plants are the base of the marine food chain, and places where blooms are frequent tend to support a thriving marine population.
Credit: Jeff Schmaltz